Rick Mitteness

            Rick Mitteness
August 10, 1957 • September 25, 2024

Ricky Lee (Rick) Mitteness, 67, passed away September 25, 2024, under the care of Hospice in Corydon, Iowa.  
 A celebration of life will be held October 19, 2024 at the Wayne County Fairgrounds in Iowa.  A local open house remembrance of Rick will be held Saturday, October 12  from 1:00-3:00 at the Dave and Colleen Johnsrud farm located at 17263 300th Ave., Starbuck, Minnesota. Memorials may be given to the Swift County Fair.  
Rick was born August 10, 1957, to Leonard and Charlotte (Swenson) Mitteness of rural Benson.  He was baptized and confirmed in the Christian Faith at Our Redeemer’s Lutheran Church in Benson.  He attended country school with his siblings and neighborhood kids.
Rick graduated from Benson High School in 1975 where he was active in 4-H, FFA, Livestock Judging and wrestling.  In the fall of 1976, he attended the University of Minnesota, Crookston.  It is here he met his future wife, Page Olson.  They lived in Crookston, Minnesota  where they worked for the Crookston Cattle Company.  After their son Aaron was born, they moved to Milton, Iowa where Rick worked as a herdsman and later at a foundry.  
Upon the passing of Page’s grandfather, Tom Lockridge, they moved to his farm, Lockmoor Angus Farms, near Russell, Iowa.  Rick and Page then started in farming and continued in raising cattle.  Rick was active with the Wayne County Fair board.  
Rick lived his life with optimism.  He always saw the glass as half full. He loved his family, especially his two grandchildren, Skye and Thorston.  He believed in God and country.   He was patriotic and a true conservative.  He looked out and helped his neighbors, especially Freddy and Martha.  He received the W-H-O Radio Good Neighbor Award.  
Rick had the gift to gab and a wonderful sense of humor.  Because of these qualities he had many friends from many walks of life.  To quote Rick, “Dad once told me he’d rather have 10 friends than $10 and I never forgot that.” He was a great brother and never missed calling his siblings on their birthdays.  
He enjoyed hosting several groups of friends and relatives to hunt local game.  It was at this time they enjoyed a Scandinavian meal complete with lutefisk and lefse.He was proud of his being 100% Norwegian. He and Page and her family traveled to Norway where Rick got to see and visit the “Mitteness Farm.”  He called his dad while traveling by boat up the fjord in Norway to say, “Dad, I’m at the home place.”   Leonard thought that was pretty special.
Rick is survived by his wife, Page, of 46 years, his son Aaron and fiancé Wendi, his grandchildren Skye and Thorston Mitteness.  His siblings:  Michele (John) Westlund, Punta Gorda, Florida, Chantell (Bob) Hay, Buffalo, MN, Lynette,(special friend Dennis Peterson) Alexandria,  MN, Randy (Karen) Mitteness, Benson, MN. His brother-in-law Eric Olson of Park Rapids and sister and brother- in- law Anne and Bill Bialke, upstate New York; nieces and nephews: Reagan (Aaron) Broussard, Brian (Tania)Westlund, Kristen (Jay) Hanson, Karna Hay,  Ryan Mitteness, Mark (Laura) Mitteness, Gina Hay; great nieces and nephew:  Britta and Jana Hanson, Tenley Broussard, Morgan and Miley Mitteness and Grey and Sienna Westlund, Julia Bialke, Madeleine Bialke and Audrey Bialke. Also to mourn are many cousins, friends and uncle Roger and Julie Mitteness.  He is preceded in death by his parents, Leonard and Charlotte Mitteness, and in-laws Harold and Eleanor(Lockridge) Olson.

Blessed be the memory of Rick Mitteness.